Leon Wieseltier writes on the shooting of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai:
Over here, the obscene attack has been regarded mainly from the standpoint of the global campaign for the education of girls. Malala Yousafzai is an eloquent and renowned advocate for girls’ schools. About the necessity and the nobility of her cause there can be no doubt. After all, she scared the Taliban………
“If anyone thinks that Malala was targeted because of education,” declared the Taliban, in a statement cited by Dawn, “that is absolutely wrong, and propaganda of media. Malala was targeted because of her pioneer role in preaching secularism and so called enlightened moderation.”
This is not just a struggle for gender equality, although suppression of women in places like Pakistan defies basic human rights. This as a struggle for secularism. Religious sects who seek to impose their dogma on society have no place in a modern world.